Iraq announces a large-scale operation to oust Islamic State militants from Anbar province

A man inspects the scene of an explosion in a busy commercial area in Baghdad, Iraq Monday, July 13, 2015. A string of car bombs and explosive belts attacks across Baghdad killed and wounded dozens of people on Sunday, Iraqi officials said. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)
(The Associated Press)

People inspect the scene of after an explosion hit a busy commercial area in Baghdad, Iraq Monday, July 13, 2015. A string of car bombs and explosive belts attacks across Baghdad killed and wounded dozens of people on Sunday, Iraqi officials said. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)
(The Associated Press)

People inspect the scene of after an explosion hit a busy commercial area in Baghdad, Iraq Monday, July 13, 2015. A string of car bombs and explosive belts attacks across Baghdad killed and wounded dozens of people on Sunday, Iraqi officials said. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)
(The Associated Press)

BAGHDAD – A military spokesman says a large-scale military operation to dislodge Islamic State militants from Iraq's western Anbar province has begun.

The spokesman for the Joint Operations Command, Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasool, announced in a televised statement that the operations started at dawn Monday. Rasool didn't clarify whether the U.S.-led international coalition is taking part, mentioning only government forces and allied Shiite and Sunni paramilitary troops.

This is not the first time the Iraqi government has announced an operation to retake Anbar — where several key towns, including the provincial capital Ramadi, remain under Islamic State control. In May, authorities announced an operation to retake Ramadi, but there has not been any major progress on the ground since then.